Page 2 of To Dwell in Shadows
They had made it to Brunie and Eldridge’s kitchen.
“It worked!” Selene cried. Joy lit her face as she pulled back to look up at him. Sam smiled back, but then they both saw Brunie pressed against the kitchen counter. Her blue wings were shaking with fright.
Selene rushed over to embrace the Harpy. “Oh, Brunie, I’m so sorry! I thought you were in the garden.”
“By the wings of Queen Aello, you nearly sentmeto the Underworld, too!” Brunie said. She pressed a hand to her ample chest, trying to catch her breath. “Practicing for the big day, are we?”
“Yes. I thought it didn’t work at first, but here we are.” Selene turned to Sam. “How was it for you?”
Sam stretched his neck, looking for any pain or stiffness. “Easier than I expected,” he admitted.
“Same here. Even my trip back here from Gaia wasn’t that simple.”
“Do you think it’s because you’re in the same dimension?” Brunie asked, her owl-like eyes blinking with curiosity.
“Possibly,” Sam said.
“Selene, you might be putting my little horse out of a job!” Eldridge chimed in as he entered the side door. “I’ll just have you transport me to and from the village from now on. Quick as a wink.”
“No,” Sam said sharply. “I don’t want to attract attention to Selene and her stone.”
Eldridge rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “Twas just a joke, my boy.”
“I don’t like those jokes,” Sam said, his protective instincts simmering. “Think of all who would want the stone for themselves. It can only be taken from her in death.”
“Or gifted in charity,” Selene added, reminding him of how Zaybris had desperately given her the stone in the Underworld. She tucked it back under her shirt, where it normally rested, hidden from view.
“I should have known better than to jest with a demon about his mate,” Eldridge said, chuckling. He wiped garden dirt from his long Goblyn fingers on a dish towel. “When do you expect to leave then?”
“By the end of the week,” Sam said. Saying the words aloud made him feel both excited and nervous. “First, we will visit Malkina lands to see if Queen Thema would like to travel with us, then Selene will transport us to the Underworld.”
Brunie reached up to pat Sam’s cheek. “I’m just bursting with happiness for you. I know how long you’ve waited for this.”
“Thank you,” Sam said. “A few boxes of books we ordered for the shop may arrive before we return. Is that all right?”
Sam and Selene had decided that when they returned from the Underworld, they would open Snowmelt’s first used bookstore. With Sam’s love of books and Selene’s love of libraries, they were sure it would be a trade in which they would both find happiness.
“Of course,” Brunie said excitedly. She put her arm around Selene, and Selene dropped her head on Brunie’s shoulder.
Sam watched them, feeling grateful that Selene thought of Eldridge and Brunie as beloved parental figures, just as he did. He knew Selene’s human family had been selfish with her time and energy, often leaving her feeling depleted. From now on, he would ensure she only spent time around those who made her feel cared for.
Looking around the kitchen, Sam considered what an unconventional family they made. It was unusual for Harpies—an all-female race—to mate with a male Goblyn, and Sam had never dreamed that fate would pair him with a human. Yet, each had found a home with their wildly different other half. The loneliness and pain that had plagued him for so many years in Aurelia were now only a memories, as a future with Selene stretched out before him.
Once he reunited with his parents, all that was missing from his life would at last be restored.
Chapter 2
Later that night, Selene sat at the mirrored dresser Sam had built, dabbing rose oil on her face while Sam reclined in bed, watching her. Why he was so fascinated by her nightly ablutions, Selene would never know, but the feeling of his eyes on her always gave her little tingles.
“Is there a demon of skin care in the Underworld? I need a moisturizer that’s less greasy,” Selene said, frowning as she smoothed her cheek in the mirror. She was wearing the same white nightgown with buttons she’d worn the first time they kissed.
“The demons of Vanity might be able to help you. But I’m not certain,” Sam replied.
“Demons of Vanity? Would they lower themselves to help a mere human like me?” she asked, turning to him with a smile.
“You are the mate of their prince. I imagine they’ll be fighting over who will assist you.”
“Does that make me a princess?”
